Near Miss

Posted by Colin Harvey Aug 21, 2009

The road down into Keynsham from Queen Charlton (and therefore from South West Bristol) takes a long sweeping right hand curve before dropping steeply down towards Keynsham. Drivers coming from Bristol have to slow down sharply from 60 to 40, and then soon after to 30mph. Conversely, drivers leaving Keynsham have to accelerate hard to get up that long incline, then suddenly find themselves suddenly accelerating.

The walk through the fields takes you to a gate, and then to walk back into Keynsham, it's necessary to cross the road to avoid walking (without a pavement or verge) with your back to the traffic. It's always busy, especially during rush hour, and with the mornings closing in, it's becoming especially so.

Yesterday morning was nothing unusual; I had to cross the road to walk for a hundred yards, before crossing back again, so I looked right, saw a white van, but a good distance away. Look left, the traffic coming up the hill had an unusually large gap. Looked right again; the white van was still far enough away that it was safe, but I gave a little kick off as I marched Alice across.

A good thing I did. Maybe that kick was some subconscious reaction to a sound. As I crossed the white line in the middle of the road, I heard a whoosh behind me, and a dark van passed by, perhaps 3 feet away. Had I been a couple of seconds slower, or not taken that kick, he would have plowed into me at somewhere between 30 and 60 mph.

There was no horn, so I assumed he had no more registered my presence than I had his. I think that in the gloom, and with the sweeping bend, his car -which had no lights on-- had simply blended into the high hedges that border the road.

I looked. Twice. But I never saw him.

Only afterwards did it sink in how close he'd been.

If you drive a dark car early in the morning, or late in the evening, put your lights on. Please.